BRI, a local provider of Internet services and advanced network solutions, has completed the first phase of construction of its fiber optic network in Downtown Charlottesville. As of mid-September, more than a dozen buildings were served by the high-speed data network, which extends both north and south of the pedestrian mall. "We're replacing traditional TDM circuits like T1's with fiber-based metro-Ethernet circuits as fast as we can. Building our own network freed us from the limited speed offerings of the local exchange carriers and allows us to decide when and where to extend our network. We've already launched some multi-gigabit inter-office connections and Internet access circuits as fast as 800 Mbps," explains Baylor Fooks, BRI President. "We've been able to meet the intense bandwidth needs of some of the area's largest content providers with creative solutions. From Charlottesville, we have redundant routes to the region's largest traffic exchanges and data centers over gigabit connections, opening up broad possibilities for local business to create disaster recovery sites or access tier one collocation facilities."
 
Phase two of the project, currently under construction, consists of extending the network to the Jefferson Park Avenue, Rugby Road, and Venable neighborhood areas. "We've been in the student housing bulk Internet access business since we launched nine years ago. There is no substitute for raw bandwidth when it comes to students."  BRI will convert its existing housing complexes to fiber-based services this school year.
 
BRI is also working with the City of Staunton's Industrial Development Authority to offer fiber-based network services in downtown Staunton. Based in Charlottesville and founded in 2000, BRI offers a unique multi-faceted approach to meeting the technological needs of area businesses. For more information, contact Carrie Slaughter at [email protected].

For the first time, the City of Charlottesville sponsored a fall community job fair, which was held on October 20th at John Paul Jones Arena. As one of the largest community job fairs in Central Virginia, this event hosted more than 100 recruiters from over 70 organizations. A wide variety of industries such as technology, healthcare, government, staffing, and education were represented. Most of the area's largest employers participated in the event, including the University of Virginia, Charlottesville City Schools, and State Farm. Many nationally known employers such as Advance Auto and Coca Cola, which have locations in the Charlottesville area, were also in attendance. There was also a designated space for technology employers, which included leading companies like Northrop Grumman, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and Booz Allen Hamilton.
 
Over 1,500 people attended the fair throughout the day, with job seekers coming not only from the City of Charlottesville and surrounding counties, but also Richmond, Lynchburg, and the Valley Area (Waynesboro, Staunton, and Augusta). In addition to an onsite resource room where job seekers were given the opportunity for one-on-one help with r�sum� writing and interviewing, an image room was also available to those interested in getting assistance with their dress and wardrobe. Two local image consultants, Bonnie Rogers of Image Investment Institute and Simona Holloway-Warren of RE You, provided last minute tips to job seekers on how they should dress when meeting employers. Donated professional attire and accessories were available to job seekers free of charge.
 
Also new this year was the addition of a "How to Start a Business" seminar presented by Nora Gillespie, Director of the Central Virginia Small Business Development Center (CVSBDC). Topics covered included learning the basics of starting a business, financing a business, and government programs for business owners. Over 15 job seekers took advantage of this onsite opportunity to learn more about entrepreneurship.
 
The job fair furthers City Council's workforce development efforts by improving employment opportunities for area residents so that all may share in the economic well-being of the City. It is sponsored by the City of Charlottesville in partnership with the County of Albemarle, Connecting People to Jobs, the Department of Rehabilitative Services, National College, the OAR, the Piedmont Workforce Network, Urban Vision, the Virginia Employment Commission, and the Virginia Workforce Network.

On October the 15th, 290 area students paid a visit to their possible future by touring local technology companies. The students, representing 15 high schools and three middle schools, spent time learning about the education and technical skills required for 21st century jobs. The tour, now in its seventh year, is presented by the Charlottesville Business Innovation Council (CBIC) and seeks to introduce area students to the exciting high technology world and expose them to the challenging and diverse career possibilities offered by our regional technology community.
 
Many thanks to the 43 participating companies that served as tour stops and the sponsors of the event which include Barton Malow, the City of Charlottesville, Blue Ridge Internetworks, and Piedmont Virginia Community College.

On October 22nd, the Department of Rehabilitative Services (DRS) once again hosted its annual Champions Employer Breakfast, which pays tribute to the multitude of employers and partners who have helped to successfully employ individuals with disabilities in the Charlottesville community over the past year. During the event, four City businesses were recognized for their continued support of DRS clients and programs. 
 
Giant Food, located in Seminole Square Shopping Center, was honored for hiring DRS clients with communications disorders and easing their transition back into the workplace. Kroger at Barracks Road also received an award for employing 10 disabled individuals. According to DRS caseworkers who nominated the grocery store, "Kroger makes it easy for someone with disabilities to go to work there. They provide support and treat everyone equally."
 
An award was also presented to the Holiday Inn University Area - the venue of this year's breakfast. The Holiday Inn was recognized by DRS for its willingness to create jobs for people with disabilities. Charles Friend, General Manager stated, "This has been a great partnership and a wonderful opportunity for the whole staff." For the second year in a row, the Melting Pot, located downtown at 501 East Water Street, was also given an award. According to Derek Bond, the restaurant's manager, six of the business's twenty employees (about one third) are individuals with disabilities. When accepting the award, Derek encouraged other employers to consider hiring disabled workers, stating that they are oftentimes the most reliable.
 
In addition to the awards ceremony, Jim Rothrock, Commissioner of the Department of Rehabilitative Services, provided a keynote address about the importance of employing people with disabilities and making workplace accommodations for such individuals. For more information about DRS and the business/employer services this agency can offer your company, please call 434-963-2971.